Phones & radio
Keeping in touch when mobiles, landlines and the internet fail: radios, texts and a family plan.
Wind-up and solar radios with DAB and FM: what to buy for a UK emergency
Which emergency radio to buy in the UK: FM first, DAB+ if you can, long wave no longer needed. Crank, solar and battery power…
Phones & radioWhen the mobile network goes down: how to reach your family
What fails first when power and phones go down, why to text before you call, how a family plan with check-in times and meeting…
Phones & radioYour landline in a power cut: the digital switch explained
Digital landlines need mains power, so most stop in a power cut. Who gets a free battery back-up, how long it lasts, why a corded…
Power cutsCyber attack on the grid or the banks: what it would mean at home
What the UK National Risk Register says a cyber attack on the electricity grid or a high-street bank could do, how long it might…
Getting startedPrepping with your neighbours: a street plan that works
What GOV.UK Be Ready asks of neighbours, how to set up a street group chat and a paper contact list, who to check on first, a…
How we write these posts
Official guidance first: GOV.UK Be Ready, UKHSA, the NHS, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Met Office and, where the UK has none, allied guidance such as Sweden's and Finland's. We give the date we read each source. We don't publish target maps or guess where attacks might happen, we don't promise anything will keep you safe, and we don't use countdowns or invented deadlines. Editorial policy · RSS feed